


Events Taking Place on August 23rd, August 23rd, and August 23rd

by fencesit



Category: Naruto
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23852749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencesit/pseuds/fencesit
Summary: "Kakashi," Gai says one day, "have we done this before?"
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Comments: 9
Kudos: 170
Collections: What Fen Do (Instead of Going Outside)





	Events Taking Place on August 23rd, August 23rd, and August 23rd

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tuesday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/gifts).



### August 23rd

"Kakashi," Gai says one day, "have we done this before?" 

They're south of Konoha, in one of the training fields that isn't exactly _marked_ as a training field but also isn't marked as _not_ a training field — this one in particular is a narrow gorge carved into the same mountainside the Hokage's faces sit on. A fast-running stream is hard at work throwing itself down towards the Nakano at the bottom of the gorge, but Kakashi and Gai are both perched on the cliffs 20 feet up, taking a break. It's a good place to practice fighting in close quarters, and Kakashi has been trying to get a handle on moving through stone in the middle of a fight the way Rock nin do. 

They have in fact been to this gorge before, two years ago, so Kakashi says, "Yes." Then he tilts his head just a little so he can look at Gai a little better. It wasn't a particularly memorable training session, given that like so many others it was interrupted by a mission for Kakashi before it could even properly get started, but Gai probably shouldn't have to ask about it. 

Memory issues can be an important warning sign of infiltration, genjutsu, or combat fatigue. 

"Ah," Gai says. "It seemed familiar!" 

Kakashi makes a noncommittal noise. This time isn't so similar to the last — but it's possible Gai means the location. There are several gorges suited for this kind of training. Still, Kakashi will keep an eye on the situation. 

"Let us go again!" Gai prompts him, springing to his feet to stand nearly perpendicular on the wall of the gorge. It's an impressively casual feat of strength, but Kakashi makes sure he doesn't let his eyes linger — they're just training today, and Kakashi will be in the village long enough this time to work his way up to something more. Maybe tomorrow, or the day after. 

For now, Kakashi stands too, and stretches. He and Gai whittle the rest of the day away with training, a rare treat — ANBU usually keeps Kakashi busy. 

### August 23rd

Gai is always changing his training routine and location, so it's sliding from pre-dawn into a real sunrise when Kakashi finds him. He's in Training Ground 38, counting a truly astronomical number of squats. Kakashi doesn't want Gai to know that Kakashi sought him out, so he runs past the training ground as if he's genuinely using the track that runs between the training grounds in this area to work on his endurance. 

As Kakashi would expect, Gai breaks counting to call out to him, leaping from his deep squat to his full height. 

"Hm?" Kakashi turns his head slowly, and then stops running. "Oh, you," he says, flat and disinterested, like he hadn't come here for exactly this interaction. 

Gai beams at him. "Me!" he agrees. "Your earnest rival! Tell me, Kakashi, will you train with me once again today?" 

Kakashi has gotten many of these invites. _Relentlessly_ , which only a few years ago drove him up the wall. He turns most of them down, but on this day in particular he's sought to give Gai the chance to extend the invitation because Kakashi knows he can accept. 

It's not _good_ that Tiger broke her arm, but it does put Kakashi's ANBU team out of circulation for awhile. Long enough to Kakashi to spend enough time with Gai to figure out what's going on between them. 

"I could make time," Kakashi allows. 

The both of them are already warmed up — Kakashi has been multitasking while looking for Gai — so they go straight into taijutsu. Gai is faster than ever and demonstrates a new grapple that has Kakashi eating dirty for half the morning. 

_"_ Taking your time to learn this counter!" Gai says at around 9, and Kakashi can't exactly argue the point. 

At ten they break for an early lunch. Kakashi catches Gai frowning down at the curry special he ordered. 

"They had the same curry special yesterday," Gai says. 

"That's not very special," Kakashi observes. 

"I'm certain they're doing their best," Gai says. He looks worried. 

After they eat, Gai asks him if there's anything he wants to work on today. 

"Simulated mission fight conditions," Kakashi suggests. It's fun to do with Gai, and Kakashi needs to practice moving through rock in a fight — the ANBU training grounds aren't good for that because the stone around them is trapped and sealed down to the inch. 

They go to a narrow gorge to the south where they had once practiced using the environment to their advantage during a spar. It's not really a training field, but situated as it is — with training grounds and other restricted, unpopulated areas on all sides — it works perfectly fine. 

"Ah," Gai says when he sees it, "we've been here before." 

"Is there a training field we haven't been to?" Kakashi asks rhetorically. There _probably_ is, but none are coming to mind. The Academy and genin-level fields, maybe. 

Gai doesn't laugh like Kakashi expects. 

"We could go somewhere else," Kakashi hazards. He doesn't see what could be wrong with this one, unless Gai has become a stickler for rules the way Kakashi used to be, but if Gai doesn't want to train here they won't. Kakashi can always drag Tenzō out here later while Tiger is laid up. 

"No," Gai says. "No, this is a good place to challenge each other, my rival." 

His heart isn't in it, suddenly, but no matter how carefully Kakashi studies him Gai doesn't break and admit what's wrong with the training ground, so eventually Kakashi supposes there's nothing to do but explain what he wants to practice and hope Gai will come clean about what's bothering him. 

They start. 

Gai watches at first, while Kakashi slips in and out of the rock in mock attacks and escapes from as many directions as possible — occasionally even leaping and bouncing off the cliff above to enter the rock from a new angle. There are things you can see a jutsu like this from observing that you can't notice when you're _doing_ the jutsu, especially when it's new. Gai has a great mind for how the body works, and has several quick notes from just Kakashi's first two trips into and out of the rock about how to maintain his centre of balance and keep from accidentally twisting or dislocating something when he tries to use the jutsu in a fight. Partially, of course, that will be a matter of speed, but picking and choosing when and how to enter and exit the rock with care can only benefit Kakashi's speed and stability. 

When they move on to simple attacks and blocks, with Kakashi not _quite_ trying to slip Gai's guard and actually stab him, Gai seems...distracted. Not distracted enough to let Kakashi get in a hit, but it's clear his mind is somewhere else. 

Kakashi doesn't mind giving Gai something physical to do while he works out some concern, but it's not usually like this. So he stops, bouncing off Gai's block one last time and landing on top of the rock, above Gai's head, instead of sinking into it. He slips down the cliff face, because dropping might seem like a continuation of their spar. 

"What is it?" Kakashi shoves his hands in his pockets and waits. 

"I," Gai says. 

And then he hesitates. 

Has he ever hesitated before? 

"Tell me," Kakashi prompts, a little more carefully than before. 

"I apprehended an infiltrator yesterday morning," Gai explains. He kind of says it like the words might turn around and bite him. "I need to check on something." 

Kakashi hasn't heard anything about any infiltration attempt, but yesterday morning he was hauling Tiger over his shoulder on the way back to Fire Country. Then he was in the hospital waiting for her to be checked out, and then he was dead asleep. 

Also, it's not like Kakashi is particularly entwined in the Konoha gossip ring. 

Kakashi inclines his head towards the gorges exit so that Gai can lead the way. 

Which Gai doesn't seem too thrilled about, but tough luck. 

Infiltrators that are captured alive are taken to Torture & Interrogation, usually, and T&I is beneath the Hokage tower. They slip into the tower through one of the back doors. There's a stairway directly to the left that they can take down two floors, and then they have to wind their way through Client Services' backend offices to find another stairwell that goes down even further. 

Gai knocks on the door which Kakashi hands back, hands stuffed in his pocket, trying not to calculate exactly how long it's been since he's allowed himself to be seen in public by this many people. 

A chūnin dressed in the T&I uniform opens the door. Gai asks about an infiltrator brought in that night, apprehended near the trining ground where Kakashi had met up with Gai this morning. 

The T&I chūnin gives Gai a deeply suspicious look. "I've been here since before then," he says. "No one has been brought in." 

They insist he check. He goes to do so. Yamanaka Inoichi appears at the door next, and actually exists into the hallway to join Gai and Kakashi. That's a really, really bad sign. Even before Inoichi claps the both of them on the shoulder and insists they go to the hospital. 

Thinking that something happened when it didn't is a much more dangerous symptom of sabotage than forgetting about something. 

Kakashi submits to all the same tests as Gai, just in case, although he and Gai aren't separated because Kakashi has only heard about the supposed infiltrator from Gai. He gets to sit there and listen to Gai explain this thing that didn't happen yesterday in great detail. Gai noticed them infiltrator sneaking across the field, went to stop them, was hit by a jutsu that didn't seem to do anything, and then saw T&I take the infiltrator away. 

Inoichi makes Gai describe the jutsu. Then the infiltrator again. The T&I members who'd lead the infiltrator away. Then, he finally asks, "What did you do with the rest of your day?" 

"I spent it with Kakashi," Gai says. "We—" 

"No," Kakashi says quietly, interrupting him, "you didn't." 

Gai turns to look at him, puzzled. "We trained all day. At the gorge." 

"That was today. For a few hours." 

"Yesterday, too." Gai glances at Inoichi and the medic nin who's been taking blood samples and various measurements. "I'm sure of it." 

Kakashi is sure, too. Kakashi is _more_ sure, or will be soo, because he got back from an ANBU mission yesterday and this morning when he'd gotten out of bed there'd been absolutely nothing perishable in his apartment. Unless the infiltrator that Gai remembers both messed with Kakashi's memories _and_ stole his groceries, Kakashi isn't missing a day. 

But then, he supposes they'll find out soon, because Inoichi certainly isn't going to let two jōnin who might be compromised go absolutely anywhere. 

### August 23rd

Kakashi wakes up from a dead sleep and immediately tries to stab the intruder in the face. The intruder is Gai, though, so Kakashi just ends up pinned to the mattress. It's a new kind of pin, but the intruder smells like Gai, grunted like Gai grunts when Kakashi had shoved an elbow into his stomach, and is definitely a Gai-shaped person wearing the sort of jumpsuit Gai favors. 

"Mm, being a little forward this time, Gai?" Kakashi asks, mostly to cover up how forward he himself suddenly wants to be, with Gai half-smothering him on his bed. They'd kissed last time Kakashi was in the village, and Kakashi had been looking forward to working up to something more this time. Kakashi had been planning to train more with Gai and then see where it went from there, actually, but...well, if Gai wants to just jump into it, that's fine. It's Gai, after all. Someone at the hospital must have spilled the beans about Kakashi being back in the village. 

Gai doesn't seem to be in the mood for teasing, though. He releases Kakashi from the pin and sits at the foot of the bed. He says, "I apologize. I need your help, Kakashi." 

It's an unusually sombre tone. 

Kakashi sits up, letting his sheets fall and pool in his lap. Anything for Gai, he thinks to himself, and motions for Gai to explain while he gets dressed. 

It's quite a puzzle. A genjutsu? Implanted memories? Something worse? Of course, there is the matter of the infiltrator and the mysterious jutsu. 

"I definitely didn't spend yesterday or the day before with you," Kakashi says, having wandered over to check his kitchen for perishables. "I suppose the hospital is the next logical step..." 

"Kakashi," Gai says, in the tone someone else might say, _please, no, anything but that_. 

"I know," Kakashi says. The hospital is a terrible place, and it's _really_ hard to get discharged if you're a jōnin they think is going to snap. 

He's not going to send Gai there. 

"We'll just see if we can find the infiltrator," Kakashi decides. "That's what you want to do, right?" 

Gai nods. "I have questions for him." 

"Me, too." Kakashi bites his thumb to summon the pack. He's had long enough between the end of the mission and now to afford to bring out more than just Pakkun, and many noses make light work. 


End file.
